Rhoni and Jayson met at a friend-of-a-friend’s birthday party at Alley Katz in Sacramento. Although Jayson spilled beer on her multiple times that the evening, Rhoni texted her friend saying that he was “cute.” They exchanged numbers that night, began texting each other the next morning and haven’t stopped since. Six years later, Jayson proposed to Rhoni at Disney World in the Japan Pavilion on a bridge overlooking the koi ponds.
After some devastating losses in Rhoni’s family over recent years, the couple wanted to not only honor those that should have been there, but incorporate their memory as much as possible. Rhoni lost her sister in late 2016 and knew planning such a momentous day without her would be difficult. “Ultimately, although it was a fairly constant reminder of her absence, it also motivated me to find small, meaningful ways to incorporate her memory into our day,” shares the bride.
They originally planned for an October wedding, but when they went to visit the venue discovered that their preferred date was already booked. Says Rhoni, “We chose to move the wedding to May, but refused to give up the dark and moody design aesthetic!”
At the ceremony, Rhoni and Jayson did what their DJ Joe called a “social media minute.” “Since we wanted an unplugged ceremony, he instructed our guests to keep their phones out of sight, with one exception: once the bride walks down the aisle, everyone had 60 seconds to get up, take selfies with us, whatever they wanted,” she says. “Everyone had a blast and thought it was so unique and creative.” Rhoni also set aside a chair for her sister with her memorial bouquet placed. She also honored her recently passed goddaughter with her picture attached to the flower girl basket.
The reception took place in Old Sugar Mill’s Boiler Room. Rhoni wanted the room to give off a dark, moody, romantic vibe with hard and soft elements. The entire wedding menu was vegetarian, with vegan options as well. But since the bride loves dessert, the whole sweet spread had to be all vegan.
When asked their favorite moment, Rhoni replies, “Is it cliché to say the whole day? We enjoyed every minute, from getting ready with our friends and family, to our last dance. We wish we could do it all again!”
—Darren Elms
